Electrical connection means



Jan. 24, 1939. H. A. DOUGLAS ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MEANS Filed Aug. 23, 1935 Hausa A. Douglas lNVLNT TQ ATTo s Patented Jan. 24, 1939 ELECTRICAL CONNECTION MEANS Harry A. Douglas, Bronson, Mich, assignor to Kingston Products Corporation, a corporation of Indiana Application, August23, 1935, Serial No. 37,487

2 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical connection means, and more particularly to electrical con-- nection means for receiving conductor terminals of the snap type, and the principal object of my 5 invention is to provide new and improvedelectrical means of these types.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and forming a part of this application I have shown, for purposes of illustration, one form which my invention may assume, and in this drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of one embodiment of my invention, the base upon which it is mounted being shown fragmentarily,

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the embodiment shown in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 33 of Figure 2, looking in the direction of the arrows, and showing in addition, a M conductor terminal adapted for cooperation with the embodiment herein disclosed.

Referring to the drawing, the embodiment herein disclosed comprises a terminal post l mounted on a base H, the base being fragmentarily shown. The terminal post l0 comprises a body portion 12 formed of a single piece of sheet metal bent into generally U-shaped formation. The U-shaped body portion l2 comprises, as viewed in Figures 1 and 2, two spaced generally horizontal walls l3, l4, joined at one end by a generally vertical wall 15.

The vertical wall I is provided with a substantially semi-cylindrical curved portion l3 intermediate its ends, and has an aperture l1, relatively narrow in width and extending substantially the vertical extent of the curved portion l6. The upper wall I3 is also provided with an aperture l8, here shown to be of the same width as the aperture I1 and extendingfrom the vertical wall i5 to a point short of the end of the wall l3. The lower wall l4, which serves as a foot for the body portion i2, is formed with an aperture l9 through which a screw 20 or any other suitable fastening means may be disposed to fasten the terminal post ID to the base II. In order to prevent the wall orfoot l4 from turning about the fastening means 20,;the'wall l4 may have a portion 2| .struck downwardly therefrom and fitting into a recess 22 in the upper face oi' the base ll.

Biasing means are provided to cooperate with the terminal post l0, and in this instance, the biasing means comprise a generally right angularly bent resilient member 23, here shown to be formed of a single piece of spring wire, of a diameter to 'closely but slidably fit within the aperturs I1 and I8 formed in thebody l2. The member 23, as viewed in Figure 2, is provided with a generally vertical leg 24 and a generally horizontal leg 25. The vertical leg 24 is formed. 5 with a curved portion-26, here shown to be substantially semi-cylindrical, and oppositely disposed with respect to the curved'portion 16 of the body l2, and being disposed adjacent that portion and 'cooperable therewith to form a plug 10 conductor terminal receiving recess 21. The member 23 may be held assembled with the body portion [2 and base II, by means of a loop 28 formed by curling the free end of the horizontal leg 25, and interposing the loop 28 between the 15 head of the screw 20 and the wall Id of the body portion l2. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the free end of the leg 24 of the biasing member 23 is disposed within the aperture l8 formed in the upper leg l3 of the body l2, and the movement 20 thereof is limited by the marginal walls of the aperture I8, the resiliency of the biasing member 23 tending to spring the free end of the leg 24 to the right, as viewed in Figure 2, and into abutting engagement with the adjacent wall of 25 the aperture iii.

In Figure 3 there is shown a plug conductor terminal 29 adapted to cooperate with the terminal post ill, and comprising a generally cylindrical portion 30 having an annular furrow 3i 30 formed therein. The plug conductor terminal 29 is formed with a frustro-conical end 32, and may be fastened to a conductor 33 disposed therein, by swedging, as indicated by swedge indentations 34 formed in the frustro-conical end 32.

The cooperating parts of the body l2 and resilient member 23 are so formed to provide a recess 21 that is normally smaller in crosssectional area than the cross-sectional area of the cylindrical portion .30 of the conductor terminal 29, so that inserting movement of the conductor terminal 29 into the recess 21 will cause the frustro-conical end 32 to cam the vertical leg 24 of the resilient member 23 to the left, as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, thereby increasing the size of the recess 21 to accommodate the cylindrical portion 30 of the conductor terminal 29. Further inserting movement will cause the vertical leg 24 and curved portion 26 of the resilient member 23 to snap into the annular furrow 3|, to clamp the conductor terminal against the adjacent parts of the body 12, and in this manner prevent uniintentional displacement of the conductor terminal.

From the foregoing it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention provides a new and improved electrical contact and connection means, economical in construction and assembly, and accordingly, accomplishes at least the principal object of my invention. It further will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the illustrated embodiment of my invention may be variously changed and modified without departing from the spirit of my invention,- or sacrificing all the advantages thereof, and that accordingly, the disclosure herein is illustrative only, and my invention is not limited thereto.

I claim: 7

1. In combination: a wall, having parts projecting angularly from opposite margins, each of said parts having an aperture, and said wall having a local portion transversely curved, and a slot extending at right angles to said curved portion; a support; fastening means, extending through the aperture in one of said parts and engaging said support to hold said one part to said support; and resilient wire means, having one end interposed between said fastening means and said one part, to hold said wire means in assembled relation, and having another end movable between marginal surfaces of the aperture in said other part, said wire means having an intermediate part locally curved in opposite relation withrespect to the curved part of said wall, and extending through said slot to form a recess with the curved part of said wall, the curved part of said wire means being movable with respect to said wall, to vary the size of said recess, and said other end of said wire means engaging spaced portions of the marginal surface of the aperture in said other part to limit movement of the curved part of said wire means.

2. Receptacle means, comprising: a body, formed of a single strip of sheet metal bent to form an intermediate wall, and end walls extending angularly from said intermediate wall, said intermediate wall having a slot, and said end walls being apertured, one of said end walls receiving a fastening means in its aperture, the fastening means engaging a support to hold the body to the support, said one end wall also having a bent part seating in a recess in the support to hold said body against turning about the fastening means; and resilient wire means, having a loop interposed between the fastening means and the adjacent surface of said one wall, to hold said resilient wire means assembled with said body, and having also a part angularly disposed with respect to said loop and in juxtaposedrelation with respect to one lateral surface of the intermediate wall of said body, said Wire means part extending through the slot in said intermediate wall and away from the opposite lateral surface,

to form with this surface a recess for receiving a conductor terminal, said wire means part being movable toward and away from the opposite lateral surface to vary the size of said recess, and the free extremity of said wire means part engaging spaced portions of the marginal surface of the aperture in the other end wall, to limit movement of said wire means part between predetermined limits.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS. 

